Vehicle-platform.



110.810,222. PATENTED'JAN-16, 1906.

1 W. E. REYNOLDS 6,-. W. E. GEoNAU.

VEHICLE ELATEUEM.

APPLIUATION FILED MAB..30, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 810,222. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1906. w. B. REYNOLDS E W. P. GRONAU.

VEHICLE PLATFORM. APPLIUATIoN FILED 11211.30, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

VVINFRED E. REYNOLDS AND WILLIAM F. GRONAU, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VEHICLE-PLATFORM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 16, 1906.

Application led March 30, 1905. Serial No. 252,803.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, WINFRED E. REY- NoLDs and WILLIAM F. GRONAU, citizens of the United States, and residents of the borough of Manhattan, in the city and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Platform, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a vehicle-platform, and more particularly to a car-platform capable of automatic adjustment to fill in any gap which may happen to exist between the permanent platform of the car and the stationplatform, particularly Where the station is located on a curve.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a car-platform and the fioor of the car adjacent thereto, the walls being shown in section and the platform itself being partially broken away, showing in full lines the position of the adjustable platform when it is in its housed position out of use and in dotted lines the position which it assumes when the car-door is open. Fig. 2 is a view of the same in elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the plane of the line A A of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a vertical section in the plane of the line B B of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a vertical section in the plane of the line C C of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view in detail showing a longitudinal vertical section of the valve which is under the control of the cardoor for controlling the operation of the platform, and Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the same.

The car-platform at the front of the car is denoted by 1, the floor of the body of the car by 2, the side wall of the car by 3, and the door which slides from the side of the platform edgewise back into the wall of the car to open the way for passengers to pass off and onto the platform 1 is denoted by 4. These parts may be of well-known or approved construction-such, for example, as are in common use in the subways and on elevated railways. As these cars stop along the front of a station-platform (represented at 5, Fig. 1) it often happens that those cars which are not directly in front of the platform have their platforms for the exit and receiving of passengers quite a space from the front edge of the station-platform and there is liability of accident due to the passenger inadvertently stepping into this space. For the purpose of closing this space we provide an auxiliary platform which is capable of being moved out from the stationary car-platform toward the station-platform, and while our invention contemplates such a platform whatever be its particular structure and whatever be the particular means employed for operating it, we have chosento illustrate our invention as in the form of a platform composed of numerous sections under the control of the compressed air commonly carried by the car to move the auxiliary platform-sections in one direction, While the said sections are placed under spring tension tending to move them in the opposite direction, and we have, further, placed the valve for admitting the airpressure to return the several sections to their ousing under the platform under the control of the sliding door which is opened by the attendant to permit passengers to pass off and on.

The platform-sections here shown are ten in number and are alike, each consisting of a flat portion 6, which is intended to be thrust out into position for receiving the foot of the passenger, and a stern 7, which serves as a piston-rod and carries on its end a piston 8, working in a cylinder 9. There is an independent cylinder 9 for each one of the platH form-sections, the said cylinders being arranged in a group side by side and supported by means of a suitable frame 1() underneath the car-platform 1.

The cylinders conveniently have their heads formed by two plates 11 and 12, extending along the opposite ends of the series of cylinders and perforated, as shown at 13, Fig. 5, opposite the cylinders for permitting the air to enter and escape freely. There is also provided a plate 14 spaced from the plate 12 and forining, together with suitable side and end walls, a chamber 15, common to the entire group of cylinders, for the reception of the platformsectionactuating fluid-in the present instance compressed air. The stem 7 of the platform-sections pass through the plate 14, suitable stuffing-boxes 16 being provided to prevent the escape of the compressed air. There is also provided a plate 17 spaced from the plate l1 at the opposite ends of the cylinders to shield the plate 11 from dust and foreign substance to permit the air to iiow freely in and out as the pistons 9 reciprocate within the cylinders.

Each cylinder has a coil-spring 18 inserted therein between its piston and the plate 11 Y the valve-stem and the valve itself.

for throwing the platform-section outward into operative position whenever permitted to do so.

To make the platform-sections engage the face of the station-platform 5 when the latter varies in height relative to the horizontal plane which the auxiliary platform-sections occupy, we give the outer ends of the flat portions 6 of the platform-sections a downward turn of several inches, as shown at 19.

The flat portions 6 of the platform-sections are located so nearly the one to another as to make it practically a continuous platform, and they are supported securely in position by means of bearings which they have in a beam 20, fixed underneath the platform a short distance back from its edge, and a second bearing which they have in a sill 21 at the edge-of the platform.

As a matter of convenience in structure we make the frame for supporting the several cylinders 9 in two sections, as shown in Fig. 5, the upper section 22 being bolted to the lower section 10, hereinabove referred to as the support for the cylinders.

Underneath the car-sill we bolt a valvecasing 23, in which there are two valve-seats formed-viz., 24 and 25j-these seats being conveniently located directly opposite and in opposite walls of the casing 23.

A valve 26 is adapted to fit the seat 24 and close the escape of air from the interior of the casing 23 through the opening 27, and a valve 28 is adapted to engage the seat 25 and close the inlet of compressed air through the pipe 29, leading to the main reservoir of compressed air. The valve 26 is fixed to a stem 30, While the valve 28 is permitted a limited movement on a continuation of the stem 30, the said valve being held to its position at the opposite end of the stem from the valve 26 by a spring 31, interposed between a collar 32 on The valve-stem 30 has a pin-andslot connection 33 with an arm 34, mounted on a spring-spindle 35, which has its bearings in the casing 23. The spindle 35 also has thereon an operating arm 36, which extends upwardly through the floor 2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and then bends at a gradual inclination, as shown at 37, and extends along the path which the lower part of the door 4 will travel in being opened. A spring 38 tends to hold the part 37 of the valve-operating arm raised, and hence the arm 34 rocked, in the direction to seat the valve 26 and open the valve 38, thus permitting the compressed air to enter the valve-casing 23 and pass through the exitpipe 39 to the chamber 15, and hence to the several 'pistons 8, forcing them back against the tension of their actuating-springs 18, and hence drawing the several platform-sections into their housed positions, as shown in full lines, Fig. 1.

When the door 4 is slid back to open the ter the car, it depresses the part 37 of the valve-operating arm and rocks the valvestem 30 in a direction to seat the valve 28 and open the valve 26, thus permitting the compressed air in the cylinders to escape through the casing 23 and opening 27 to the atmosphere, permitting the springs 18 to act and throw the several platform-sections outwardly into engagement with the edgeof the station-platform 5, and hence, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1, thus completely closing the gap which may exist.

The introduction ofthe spring 31 is for the purpose of closing the valvev28 before the pressure for returning the cylinders has equaled the pressure in the main reservoiri. e., in the event it is not necessary to use the full pressure of the air in the main reservoir to return the auxiliary platform-sections to their housed position the main reservoir will hold the valve 28 open until the pistons in the cylinders have been returned, and at this point and before the pressure in the cylinders has become equal to the pressure in the main reservoir the spring 31 will have closed the valve 28 without disturbing the valve 26, thus relieving the main reservoir from a further expenditure of its pressure in operating the platform-sections.

To hold the several platform-sections in their housed position when the air-pressure is removed-as, for example, when cars are sent to the yard for repairs or the air-pressure in the main reservoir gives out-we provide a swinging bar or slat 40, hinged to the sill 21 and capable of being thrown into locking position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, or back into closed position, as shown in full lines, Fig. 3.

A thumb-screw 41 may be employed to hold the slat 40 in its closed adjustment out of the way and also in its locking position, the heads 19 of two middle bars being slightly cut away, as shown in Fig. 2, to permit the screw 41 to pass between them into the face of the sill.

In operation as the car stops at a station the door 4 is slid open and during its sliding movement operates the'valve to exhaust the air-presssure from the cylinders,permitting the springs 18 to act and throw the sections out against the edge of the station-platform 5. As these sections work independently of one another, they will adjust themselves to the edge of the platform, tightly closing the gap, so that there will be no danger of a person getting his foot caught between the car and platform.

The door 4 is closed before the car starts, and in closing it permits the part 37 of the valve-operating arm to rise under the tension of the spring 38, and this locks the valves IOO cylinders, promptly forcing the several platform-sections back into their housed position, as shown in full lines, Fig. 1.

1. The combination with a car-platform, of a sectional auxiliary platform secured underneath the car-platform and means for extending the several sections laterallyfrom the car-platform.

2. The combination with a car-platform, of a sectional auxiliary platform secured underneath the car-platform and means for extending the several sections laterally from the car independently of one another.

3. The combination with a vehicle, of a platform mounted to slide laterally from the side of the vehicle in a horizontal plane and means for operating the platform.

4. The combination with a vehicle, of a platform mounted to slide laterally from the side of the vehicle in a horizontal plane and means for automatically operating the platform.

5. The combination with a vehicle, of a platform mounted to slide in a horizontal plane beyond the side of the vehicle, means for operating the platform and means under the control of a door opening to the platform for controlling the operation of the platformoperating means.

6. The combination with a vehicle, of a sectional platform mounted to move into an extended position at theexterior of the vehicle and means for operating the said sections independently of one another.

7. The combination with the stationary platform of a car, of an auxiliary platform mounted to slide outwardly and inwardly from and toward the stationary platform and means for applying compressed fluid to move the auxiliary platform.

8. The combination with a car, of a platform composed of several sliding sections, cylinders, one for each section, pistons working in the cylinders and connected with the sections and means for admitting compressed fluid to the cylinders to operate the pistons. 9. The combination with a car provided With a door, of a sliding platform, means for applying a compressed fluid to operate the sliding platform and a valve actuated by the door for controlling the action of the compressed fluid on the sliding platform.

10. The combination with a car, of a platform composed of sliding sections, a cylinder and piston for each sliding section, means for operating the sliding sections in one direction by compressed fluid and springs for operating the sections in the opposite direction.

11. The combination with a car, of a platform composed of sliding sections, a cylinder and piston for each section, means for simultaneously operating the sliding sections in one direction and means for operating the sections in the opposite direction independently of one another.

12. The combination with a car, of a platform composed of sliding sections, springs for forcing the sections outwardly into' operative position, means for forcing the sections inwardly against the tension of the springs and means for locking the sections in their inward adjustments.

1,3. The combination with a car,l of a platform having a sliding movement out and in at the exterior of the car, means for placing the platform under the action of compressed fluid to operate it, and a differential valve for controlling the admission and discharge of the compressed fluid.

14. The combination with a suitable support, of a platform comprising several sections in juxtaposition in a plane and means for sliding the several sections independently beyond the margin of the support.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing Vas our invention we have signed our names,

in presence of two witnesses, ths 29th day of March, 1905.

VINFRED E. REYNOLDS. WILLIAM F. GRONAU.

Witnesses;

FREDK. HAYNEs, C. S. SUNDGREN. 

